Responding to “Inquiry and Practice” in the 2019 Curriculum Guidelines: A Dual-Practice Approach to a Teaching Practice Course in Teacher Education

[LANGUAGE=”English”] 1. IntroductionIn 2019, the Ministry of Education of Taiwan introduced new guidelines for the 12-year basic education. The 2019 curriculum guidelines emphasize the importance of inquiry and practice and transdisciplinarity. Student teachers are expected to develop collaborative skills across disciplines; integrate curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and acquire the ability to design and implement inquiry-based courses. However, few empirical studies have examined how teacher education programs have adapted to the new curriculum guidelines or whether adaptation to the guidelines has been effective. In Finland, phenomenon-based learning has emerged as a promising approach, which aligns with the objectives of the 2019 guidelines. This study incorporated phenomenon-based learning into the design and implementation of a dual-practice approach to a teaching practice course. The first part of the course involved an inquiry project to prepare student teachers for the second part of the course, which involved designing and implementing a 5-week microcourse called Inquiry 101 for high school students. The present study examined whether this teaching practice course enhanced student teachers’ transdisciplinary inquiry skills and their ability to integrate curriculum, instruction, and assessment.2. Literature ReviewInquiry-based learning has been promoted across disciplines (Chang et al., 2011; Selby, 2006; VanSledright, 2010; Wineburg, 2001). However, previous studies have shown that in-service teachers might not be adequately prepared for this new pedagogical approach and have highlighted the importance of integrating the new approach into teacher education (Khalaf & Zin, 2018; Levy et al., 2013). Teachers in Taiwan often face greater challenges than those in other countries; they are expected to teach and implement inquiry in a transdisciplinary setting according to the 2019 guidelines. As a curriculum reform, Finland recently introduced phenomenon-based learning, which aims to enhance students’ motivation through their exploration of real-life phenomena rather than by focusing their attention on subject-specific knowledge (Halinen et al., 2015; Lonka et al., 2018). This approach stimulates students’ curiosity and intrinsic motivation and enhances their problem-solving skills. Additionally, it promotes transdisciplinary integration and increases the usefulness of knowledge acquired in class.Integrating phenomenon-based learning into inquir